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you serve, and you ratify his vote. But the more they said these things, the more he spared him. For he knew this, that God had delivered him to him, in order to provide him an occasion for greater glory. So you too, then, when you see your enemy fallen into your hands, do not think it is a time for vengeance, but for salvation. For this reason one must especially spare 54.684 enemies, when we become their masters. But perhaps someone might say: And what is great and wonderful about becoming master and sparing someone? For many other kings, too, having often come to power, and having seized those who had previously grieved them, considered it unworthy of them in so great a majesty of rule to exact punishment for the offenses, and the abundance of their authority became a cause for reconciliation. But here one can say nothing of the sort. For David did not spare Saul in this way after ascending to the throne, nor after receiving the kingdom and having Saul in his hands, so that no one might say that the greatness of his rule dissolved his anger; but knowing that if he were saved he would attack him with the same things again, and would cast him into greater dangers, not even so did he kill him. Let us not, then, compare this man to those. For they, having a sure pledge of their future security, spare them for good reason; but this man, being about to release his enemy against himself, and to save a foe for himself, not even so did he destroy him, and this though he had many things urging him on to this slaughter. For indeed the lack of helpers for Saul, and the advice of the soldiers, and the memory of past events, and the fear of future ones, and the fact that he would not even be judged for slaughter after killing the enemy, and that after this murder he could transgress the law, and many other things more than these, were compelling and forcing him to thrust the sword into him. But he yielded to none of these things, but remained like some adamant, preserving immovable the law of philosophy. Then, lest you say that he did not even suffer anything of the sort, as was likely, but that what happened was insensibility, not philosophy, see how, though enraged, he persevered. For that the waves of anger rose up in him, and a great squall of thoughts was stirred, and he reined in the storm with the fear of God, and restrained his mind, it is possible to see from what happened. For he arose, it says, and secretly cut off the corner of Saul's robe. Did you see how great a storm of anger was roused? But it did not proceed further, nor did it cause a shipwreck; for the pilot, quickly perceiving it, his pious reasoning, made a calm instead of a storm. For his heart smote him, it says, and he reined in his anger, just like a leaping and raging horse. 6. Such are the souls of the saints; before they fall, they rise up; before they come to sin, they are reined in, since they are sober and ever watchful. And yet how great was the distance between the body and the garment? But nevertheless he was strong enough not to proceed further, and for this very thing he condemned himself severely. For his heart smote him, it says, because he cut off the corner of the robe, and he said to his men: "Far be it from me from the Lord." What is, "Far be it from me from the Lord"? Instead of, "The Lord be merciful to me," he says, "and even if I myself should wish it, may God never allow me to do this, nor permit me to come to this sin." For since he knows that such philo54.685sophy almost surpasses human nature, and needs influence from above, and that he was almost turned toward the slaughter, he prays then that God might keep his hand clean. What could be gentler than this soul? Shall we still call this one a man, who in human nature displayed an angelic way of life? But the divine laws would not endure it. For who, tell me,

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ὑπηρετεῖς, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου ψῆφον κυροῖς. Ἀλλ' ὅσῳ ταῦτα ἔλεγον, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἐφείδετο. Ἤδει γὰρ τοῦτο, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν αὐτῷ παρέδωκεν, ἵνα πλείονος εὐδοκιμήσεως αὐτῷ παράσχῃ πρόφασιν. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν, ὅταν ἴδῃς τὸν ἐχθρὸν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ἐμπεσόντα τὰς σὰς, μὴ νόμιζε τιμωρίας, ἀλλὰ σωτηρίας εἶναι καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τότε μάλιστα φείδεσθαι δεῖ τῶν 54.684 ἐχθρῶν, ὅταν αὐτῶν γενώμεθα κύριοι. Ἀλλ' ἴσως εἴποι τις ἄν· Καὶ τί μέγα καὶ θαυμαστὸν γενόμενον κύριον φείσασθαι; Πολλοὶ γὰρ καὶ ἄλλοι βασιλεῖς πολλάκις ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐλθόντες, τοὺς πάλαι λελυπηκότας λαβόντες, ἀνάξιον αὐτῶν εἶναι ἐνόμισαν ἐν ἀρχῆς ὄγκῳ τοσούτῳ δίκην ἀπαιτῆσαι τῶν πεπλημμελημένων, καὶ ἡ τῆς ἐξουσίας περιουσία καταλλαγῆς ὑπόθεσις γέγονεν. Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἔστιν εἰπεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀνελθὼν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, οὐδὲ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀπολαβὼν, καὶ τὸν Σαοὺλ ὑπὸ χεῖρας ἔχων, οὕτως ἐφείσατο, ἵνα μή τις εἴπῃ, ὅτι τὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς μέγεθος τὸν θυμὸν ἐξέλυσεν· ἀλλ' εἰδὼς ὅτι διασωθεὶς τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπιθήσεται πάλιν, καὶ εἰς μείζονας ἐμβαλεῖ τοὺς κινδύνους, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπέκτεινε. Μὴ δὴ τοῦτον ἐκείνοις παραβάλωμεν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ ἀσφαλὲς τὸ ἐνέχυρον ἔχοντες τῆς μετὰ ταῦτα ἀδείας, εἰκότως φείδονται· οὗτος δὲ μέλλων τὸν ἐχθρὸν καθ' ἑαυτοῦ ἀφιέναι, καὶ πολέμιον ἑαυτῷ σώζειν, οὐδὲ οὕτως αὐτὸν ἠφάνισε, καὶ ταῦτα πολλὰ ἔχων τὰ πρὸς τὴν σφαγὴν αὐτὸν ταύτην ὠθοῦντα. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ ἐρημία τῶν βοηθούντων τῷ Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἡ παραίνεσις τῶν στρατιωτῶν, καὶ ἡ μνήμη τῶν παρελθόντων, καὶ ὁ φόβος τῶν μελλόντων, καὶ τὸ μηδὲ σφαγῆς κρίνεσθαι λοιπὸν ἀποκτείναντα τὸν ἐχθρὸν, καὶ τὸ μετὰ τὸν φόνον τοῦτον δύνασθαι τὸν νόμον ὑπερβαίνειν, καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα πλείονα τούτων ἐβιάζετο καὶ ἠνάγκαζεν ὠθῆσαι τὸ ξίφος εἰς ἐκεῖνον. Ἀλλ' οὐδενὶ τούτων εἶξεν, ἀλλ' ἔμενεν ὥσπερ τις ἀδάμας, ἀκίνητον τὸν τῆς φιλοσοφίας διατηρῶν νόμον. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ λέγῃς ὅτι οὐδὲ ἔπαθέ τι τοιοῦτον, οἷον εἰκὸς ἦν, ἀλλ' ἀναισθησία τὸ γινόμενον ἦν, οὐχὶ φιλοσοφία, ὅρα πῶς ἀγριωθεὶς ἐκαρτέρησεν. Ὅτι γὰρ αὐτῷ διανέστη τὰ κύματα τῆς ὀργῆς, καὶ πολλὴ τῶν λογισμῶν ἐκινήθη ἡ ζάλη, καὶ τὸν χειμῶνα ἐχαλίνου τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπιέζετο, ἐκ τῶν γενομένων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Ἀνέστη γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ ἀφεῖλε τὸ πτερύγιον τῆς διπλοΐδος Σαοὺλ λαθραίως. Εἶδες πόσος ἠγέρθη τῆς ὀργῆς ὁ χειμών; Ἀλλ' οὐ προῆλθε περαιτέρω, οὐδὲ εἰργάσατο τὸ ναυάγιον· ὁ γὰρ κυβερνήτης ταχέως αἰσθόμενος, ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμὸς, γαλήνην ἀντὶ χειμῶνος ἐποίησεν. Ἐπάταξε γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, καὶ καθάπερ σκιρτῶντα καὶ μαινόμενον ἵππον, τὸν θυμὸν ἀνεχαίτισε. ςʹ. Τοιαῦται τῶν ἁγίων αἱ ψυχαί· πρὶν ἢ πεσεῖν, ἀνίστανται, πρὶν ἢ πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐλθεῖν, ἀναχαιτίζονται, ἐπειδὴ νήφουσι καὶ διαπαντός εἰσιν ἐγρηγορυῖαι. Καίτοι πόσον τοῦ σώματος ἦν καὶ τοῦ ἱματίου τὸ μέσον; Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἴσχυσε μὴ προελθεῖν περαιτέρω, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ δὲ τούτῳ σφόδρα ἑαυτὸν κατεδίκασεν. Ἐπάταξε γὰρ αὐτὸν ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, ὅτι ἀφεῖλε τὸ πτερύγιον τῆς διπλοΐδος, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας· Μηδαμῶς ἐμοὶ παρὰ Κυρίου. Τί ἐστι, Μηδαμῶς ἐμοὶ παρὰ Κυρίου; Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἵλεώς μοι Κύριος, φησὶ, καὶ αὐτὸς εἰ βουληθείην, μὴ συγχωρήσαι μοί ποτε τοῦτο ἐργάσασθαι ὁ Θεὸς, μηδὲ ἐπιτρέψειεν εἰς ταύτην ἐλθεῖν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἶδε τὴν τοιαύτην φιλο54.685 σοφίαν σχεδὸν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ὑπερβαίνουσαν φύσιν, καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν δεομένην ῥοπῆς, καὶ μικροῦ περιτραπέντα πρὸς τὴν σφαγὴν, εὔχεται λοιπὸν, ὥστε καθαρὰν τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῷ διατηρῆσαι τὴν χεῖρα. Τί ταύτης γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμερώτερον; Ἆρα ἄνθρωπον ἔτι τοῦτον ἐροῦμεν, τὸν ἐν ἀνθρωπείᾳ φύσει πολιτείαν ἀγγελικὴν ἐπιδειξάμενον; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιντο οἱ θεῖοι νόμοι. Τίς γὰρ ἂν, εἰπέ μοι,